The
Vashkoon is a rust coloured, tree-climbing creature that dwells in the Forest of
Souls on R'unor. It is one of the most clever
beasts in the chain of islands, seemingly possessed of both hands and the
intellect to use them. The Vashkoon is named based on the noises they make,
seemingly to warn each other.

Appearance.The Vashkoon is roughly
a fore in length from nose
to tail, though its tail takes up at least half of that length on its own. They
have a face similar in appearance to that of a fox, with a pointed nose and
"flashes" of lighter fur about the nose and muzzle. The remainder of the
Vashkoon is uniformly covered in surprisingly thick, red fur except the tail,
which features rings of a discoloured red spaced regularly along its length. The
fur of the Vashkoon is typically described as a rusty red though when first born
the cub has a dark, almost brown coat, which lightens to the typical rust and
reaches a dark orange tone as it reaches what would be considered the old age of
ten.

The "flashes" about the face vary in colour from a pale orange through creamy
shades of red to white. These do not develop until a cub reaches maturity and
are unique to an individual. One Vashkoon may have an entirely white face, which
is considered lucky, while another may only have markings about the forehead,
eyes or cheeks. Regardless of the placement of a marking, flashes are typically
symmetrical.

The fur of the tail is also an indication of gender; males have tails with
lighter bands between their usual fur colour, while the tail of a female
features darker bands. The males also possess lighter coloured ears than
females, often of the same colour

The ears of the Vashkoon are curious in that they possess the ability to swivel
about on its head, so that they might point to either side, rather than straight
ahead. These are pointed, much like a fox's ears, though not as expressive as
those of other canines.

The forepaws of the Vashkoon have long, prehensile digits and thumbs, which it
uses to climb. The claws on the forepaws are capable of retracting to a length
of roughly two nailsbreadths.
When fully extended, for use in eating or climbing, these are roughly five
nailsbreadths in lengths and have a downward curve. The rear paws resemble more
closely the foot of certain simians and also possess claws; these however do not
retract and measure roughly four
nailsbreadths.

Interestingly, though unexpected given its resemblance to other meat-eating
creatures, the Vashkoon has both sharp teeth and blunt teeth within its muzzle,
used for its omnivorous diet. Like many varieties of feline, the Vashkoon has
eyes that seem to reflect light back, giving them an eerie appearance during
their preferred roaming hours.

Special Abilities.
The Vashkoons are easily among the most intelligent
R'unorian creatures and their facility with
their "hands" is a matter of sayings and proverbs among
R'unorians. Vashkoons use their hands to
handle food, going so far as to shake the boughs of ash fruit trees to obtain
food, and have been observed washing the fruit to remove the bitter taste.

The ears of the Vashkoon are capable of turning in place, a quality which seems
to allow the creatures to pinpoint sounds more accurately than some other
creatures. Indeed, those who attempt to catch or even observe Vashkoons must be
very wary of making noises for they have been known to avoid all but the most
cunning of ambushes if they feel threatened.

Territory.
Vashkoons are endemic to R'unor. Attempts to
transplant them to Nybelmar or
Sarvonia as pets fail without a consistent
supply of ash fruit, which it seems to require in order to live. In particular,
Vashkoons are native to the Tinderwood, as the southern branch of the Forest of
Souls is often called. Their preference for living about the roots of ash fruit
trees protects them from the fires which ravage the forest from time to time.

Habitat/Behaviour.
The Vashkoon is a familial creature, living in groups of up to a dozen adults
quite happily. They are fiercely territorial and claim a roughly circular range
of some hundred peds across for themselves. There is a tolerance for overlapping
territories of other Vashkoons about the edges, but otherwise they will brook no
trespass. They have a fierce dislike of the U'arels, with whom they compete for
food, particularly ash fruit.

A Vashkoon den is typically a burrow under the roots of a particularly old ash
fruit tree. These trees are quite resilient to the fires that periodically raze
sections of the forest, and at a ped and a half below the surface, their burrows
are quite safe. The fear of fire that they possess is very noticeable, the sound
of fire crackling, the scent of smoke or the sight of flames is sure to drive
any Vashkoon back to its home with all due haste.

Vashkoons are known to store food in their burrows, including a healthy stash of
ash fruit, throughout the later months of the year when the ash fruit tree no
long produces fruit.

On average, Vashkoons are most active during the twilight hours, when it chooses
to forage for food. They often sleep through the warmest parts of the day, often
in the branches of trees about their homes legs splayed to either side of a
convenient branch, which gives rise to the idea that these animals are lazy.

Vashkoons seem to have a simple method of communication, among which has been
identified a sort of warning call and response. For such small creatures they
can produce a noise which carries farther than one might expect, with a cry of
"Vash!" going up when there is danger or something suspicious and a cry of
"Koon!" when things appear to be clear. The majority of their communication is a
combination of barks, yips, assorted chitterings, growls, howls and even
bird-like squawks and trills. The sound of a happy Vashkoon is quite enjoyable
however, as they seem to whistle a joyful sort of tune in chorus with each
other.

Diet.
The Vashkoon is omnivorous: insects, root vegetables, nuts or seeds, mushrooms
and fruit are all fair game for these animals. Vashkoons have been observed
digging up plant bulbs, or nibbling on the leaves of plants to find food, which
has begged some researchers to note that it is not a matter of what the Vashkoon
is capable of eating so much as what they are incapable of eating.

In addition to simple insects, assorted forms of myrmex or grubs, the Vashkoon
is also one of the few creatures capable of dining on the otherwise
indestructible tuffchafer, by means of a curious gesture that has only been
described as "tickling" the beetles.

They do have one particular favourite, however: ash fruit is crucial to its
diet. As evidenced by attempts to domesticate them, Vashkoons die without
substantial quantities of the fruit to eat. To eat this typically inedible
fruit, they will wash or rub them off in some way, removing a bitter, waxy
coating to the fruit, and then split the fruit open with their claws, remove the
stone and consume the flesh.

The ash fruit, however, is not the only fruit the Vashkoon has been observed
"washing". It seems to treat any food recovered from the ground in much the same
way.

The Vashkoon is also capable of fishing. They will stand in the shallows of a
river and slap small fish out onto the bank much like a bear, before eating them
raw. They shun carrion, but strangely have been observed eating over-ripe fruit,
and exhibiting symptoms that can only be described as drunkenness.

Mating.
Vashkoons produce litters of up to four individuals. Of these, three typically
reach adulthood; at least one succumbs to disease, fire or other animals. Mating
occurs in the spring, with the cubs reaching adolescence by the late autumn of
that year. By the time the next spring has arrived, the previous season's cubs
have reach maturity and have begun mating in their own right.

Males are generally the aggressors among their kind. A male will attempt to
prove his worth to a female through gifts of food, and may offer to groom the
female as a way of attracting a mate. If two males both attempt to court the
same female, chances are that the two will fight over her.

There is a slight discrepancy in population between males and females, with
females being in the greater proportion. Generally, Vashkoons will only form one
pairing in a year, but in a case where there is a surplus, a male may attempt to
attract two mates.

Myth/Lore.
Debate rages among scholars as to the nature of this creature, and where it
should be grouped. The first specimen presented to
Sarvonian researchers, the preserved body
of a Vashkoon, was believed to be an elaborate hoax and it was suggested that
the creature had been put together piecemeal from other cadavers and then dyed.

One camp believes that it is actually a form of small bear, and suggests that it
be grouped with other creatures of that variety. Another believes that it is
either of a feline or canine persuasion and point to the Vashkoon's head, which
strongly suggests relation in some way.

A small group of scholars believe that the Vashkoon should be properly
categorized with monkeys, owing to its very simian hands and seemingly advanced
intellect, well beyond that of a simple animal.